Cillian Murphy's Status in 28 Years Later (and Its Sequels) Has Been Clarified

The question of whether oregon not Cillian Murphy would instrumentality arsenic Jim, his 28 Days Later quality (and survivor!), successful the 3rd movie successful the series, 28 Years Later, has bounced astir online rather a bit, peculiarly since the film's trailer past December revealed an "infected" quality who immoderate folks thought was played by Murphy.

It turned retired that wasn't Jim astatine all, and successful January 1 of the film's producers, Andrew Macdonald, confirmed to EW that Murphy, who is serving arsenic an enforcement shaper connected 28 Years Later, would not instrumentality to the bid successful an onscreen capacity... yet. But present manager Danny Boyle has outlined the program for IGN regarding Jim, Cillian, and the caller bid of films that starts with 28 Years Later.

"Well, it's 3 films, a trilogy of films which person connecting characters," helium says, adding that Spike, the 12-year-old lad played by Alfie Williams successful 28 Years Later, is cardinal to the caller story. "He volition tally close mode done the films. We've changeable the archetypal 2 back-to-back, and that was for logistical reasons, histrion availability reasons, and for communicative reasons arsenic well. They're virtually continuous."

The 2nd movie successful this caller trilogy is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which was directed by Candyman and The Marvels' Nia DaCosta and produced by Boyle and Alex Garland, who has written each movie successful the bid truthful acold (aside from 2007's 28 Weeks Later). The Bone Temple is scheduled for merchandise connected January 16, 2026, truthful conscionable 7 months aft 28 Years Later.

"There's a coda... it's not a coda, it's the epilogue oregon an extremity taxable astatine the extremity of the archetypal movie [28 Years Later] that gives you a handover to the 2nd film," explains Boyle. "Although each communicative completes itself, there's a handover conception to the adjacent movie arsenic well. So it's precise ambitious. We haven't got the wealth for the 3rd 1 yet. It volition beryllium however the archetypal 1 does, I guess. But hopefully if we bash ok, they'll springiness america the go-ahead for the wealth and for the 3rd one. Everybody's lasting by for that, really. Including Cillian."

So Murphy would beryllium successful the 3rd movie of the existent rhythm (the sequel to The Bone Temple) if and erstwhile that happens. But Boyle besides confirms that the Oscar victor is successful The Bone Temple arsenic well, though it remains to beryllium seen how overmuch he's successful it.

"He is successful the 2nd one," says Boyle earlier smiling. "I shouldn't springiness distant excessively much. I'll get killed."

As for whether oregon not he'd travel backmost to nonstop the 3rd movie, Boyle says "100%."

"I would emotion to, yes. God willing, etc., your wellness maintaining and each that benignant of stuff," helium laughs. "But besides it depends however the archetypal movie does. You mightiness not privation maine to. You ne'er know. You've got to recognize that determination are plentifulness of alternatives."

Ultimately Boyle wants the bid to support pushing the boundaries of the genre that 28 Days Later did 23 years ago.

Shooting 28 Years Later with 20 iPhones... astatine once! Credit: Sony

"You cognize that happening astir sequels, you privation to propulsion it connected and instrumentality immense risks," helium says. "I person to accidental just play to [studio Sony Pictures]. They did let america to instrumentality large liberties with [28 Years Later]. They could person said, 'Oh no, it needs to beryllium much sequel-y. You request to trust connected immoderate of the ideas that are successful the original. And what bash you mean Cillian's not going to look successful the archetypal one? I thought you said Cillian was going to beryllium successful it.' We said, 'Yeah, Cillian is going to beryllium successful it, but not rather the archetypal one.' So just play to them. They've enactment up with a lot."

28 Years Later, which stars Alfie Williams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes and Erin Kellyman, volition beryllium released connected June 20. While you hold for it, cheque retired Boyle discussing the film's "big" approach, including the usage of 20 iPhones arsenic cameras -- each astatine once! We besides talked to the manager astir the improvement of the infected successful 28 Years Later.